Salmorejo

By Martha Rose Shulman

Salmorejo
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
About 1 hour, plus at least 2 hours' refrigeration
Rating
4(140)
Notes
Read community notes

This silky, salmon-colored purée from Cordoba, Spain, is thicker and creamier than gazpacho Andaluz, just a simple mixture of tomatoes, bread, garlic and olive oil. Its success depends entirely on the quality of the tomatoes and oil. Authentic salmorejo has about three times as much olive oil as this version and can be thicker, doubling as a sauce or a dip. Traditionally, the soup is garnished with Ibérico or Serrano ham and diced hard-boiled eggs, but I like to garnish mine with diced green pepper or, for some spice, diced poblano pepper.

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Ingredients

Yield:Four servings
  • 2pounds ripe red tomatoes, peeled
  • 4ounces stale French baguette, crusts removed and diced or torn into pieces (about 2½ cups diced or torn up bread)
  • 2garlic cloves, halved, green shoots removed, coarsely chopped
  • 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (more to taste), plus additional for drizzling
  • 1½ to 2tablespoons sherry vinegar (to taste)
  • Salt to taste
  • Diced green pepper or, for a spicy twist, diced poblano pepper, for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

211 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 662 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the bread in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze the water from the bread. Return the bread to the bowl, and place a strainer over the bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Cut the peeled tomatoes in half across the equator, and squeeze out the seeds over the strainer. Rub the seed pods against the strainer to extract as much juice as you can. Discard the seeds. Chop the tomatoes coarsely, and add to the bowl with the bread and tomato juice. Add the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the vinegar and salt to taste. Toss together and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer to a blender, and blend at high speed until homogenized (you will probably have to do this in two batches). While the blender is running, drizzle in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Pour into the bowl, taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if desired. Cover and chill for at least two hours.

  4. Step 4

    Serve, garnishing each bowl with diced green or poblano pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tip
  • Variation: Serve the salmorejo as a sauce with grilled fish or as a dip with crudités. For thicker salmorejo, add another ounce of bread. Advance preparation: This will keep for two days in the refrigerator. But don’t add the garlic until a few hours before serving. Blend a cupful of the soup with the garlic, then whisk back into the rest of the soup. Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

Ratings

4 out of 5
140 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Ricard Raventós

Tipically you would find shredded boiled egg to add on top, also very common thinly sliced Spanish ham.

TJ

Add the garlic right away and chill overnight (something wonderful happens), and use way more oil than this recipe asks. Garnish with chopped serrano ham, chopped hard-boiled egg, diced red onion, and maybe chives (more for color). For luscious texture, run it through a food mill or a tamis, and (if you dare) whisk in a raw egg yolk just before serving. When tomatoes are ripe, this kind of salmorejo is sublime. An explosion of flavor. You'll never return to gazpacho again.

Sal

Avocado? Nope. Not in Spain.

Sam

Make it the night before, and add the garlic. And if you have a powerful blender, skip all the silliness about peeling and straining the tomato seeds.

Jen

Wait, 1.5 CUPS of minced garlic? I love garlic, but that's got to be a typo, right?

Anya

I added a splash of red wine vinaigrette for sweetness, a splash of Worcestershire sauce for umami, and fresh black pepper to the recipe. It also needed more olive oil than called for - but otherwise is a very good base.

Sam

Make it the night before, and add the garlic. And if you have a powerful blender, skip all the silliness about peeling and straining the tomato seeds.

Jerry Knight

I started with a base of canned crushed roma tomatoes rather than fresh. It's so much easier and consistent/reliable than using fresh. Croutons instead of stale bread. Waaaay more garlic - 1.5 cups minced. Waaay more EVO - 1.5 cups. I tasted it in the blender along the way. The sherry vinegar is essential! I added 1tsp table salt and 1tsp white pepper at the end. It's so amazingly flavorful and addictive! Who has wine pairing suggestions?

Jen

Wait, 1.5 CUPS of minced garlic? I love garlic, but that's got to be a typo, right?

oscar

Add the garlic right away and chill overnight (something wonderful happens), and use way more oil than this recipe asks. Garnish with chopped serrano ham, chopped hard-boiled egg, diced red onion, and maybe chives (more for color). For luscious texture, run it through a food mill or a tamis, and (if you dare) whisk in a raw egg yolk just before serving. When tomatoes are ripe, this kind of salmorejo is sublime. An explosion of flavor. You'll never return to gazpacho again.

ANF

Made this today as written, and super! Has anyone tried freezing it?

Jim

Fantastic. Not sure whether it was necessary to have peeled the tomatoes before running everything through a high speed blender, but I am convinced that the step of sieving the jelly around the seeds added a lot. Wonderful recipe with good good tomatoes

patty

This is delicious. I used an artisan bread with olives and white balsamic vinegar. Tomato season in the midwest has been mediocre, the above changes created a fuller flavor the soup.

TJ

Add the garlic right away and chill overnight (something wonderful happens), and use way more oil than this recipe asks. Garnish with chopped serrano ham, chopped hard-boiled egg, diced red onion, and maybe chives (more for color). For luscious texture, run it through a food mill or a tamis, and (if you dare) whisk in a raw egg yolk just before serving. When tomatoes are ripe, this kind of salmorejo is sublime. An explosion of flavor. You'll never return to gazpacho again.

mark

More toppings; cute/Zune’s, avocado, parsley, etc.

Sal

Avocado? Nope. Not in Spain.

Ricard Raventós

Tipically you would find shredded boiled egg to add on top, also very common thinly sliced Spanish ham.

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